I'm Addicted To You
by Zealy
Summary: Elsa is a woman fallen from grace; both addicted to a slew of drugs and abused by her husband, she doesn't see a happy ending in store for herself. Anna is ever chipper and dreams of taking her father's place as the highest paid bartender at the spectacularly renowned Oaken's. As they grow close, will these two very different characters even each other out? Elsanna.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

Anna was sixteen when the woman first came to town. She was visiting her father at work at Oaken's, Arendelle's most renowned high-end bar that also served as an extravagant casino. Years ago it was a modest bar, a cheap place to score some cheap beer. When the previous owner's son took over, however, he took loan after loan to renovate and remodel the place into the grand display of gambling and alcoholic splendor that it is today. It paid off tenfold.

The inside was dimly lit, splashed with white and cyan lights,

and the walls were a deep shade of blue. Glossy galaxy marble tiles made up the sleek floor and crowds of people, dressed in expensive tuxedos and elegant dresses, were scattered about gambling, drinking, or partaking in a mixture of the two.

"That guy, over there," her father, Alvar, whispered, leaning across the bar as he mixed a drink.

"Yeah?" Anna asked as her gaze drifted to subtly eye the man her father was referring to. He was middle aged with clean-cut dark hair, striking blue eyes and sparse stubble decorating his chin. He was dressed in a sky blue button-up shirt and black dress pants, an expensive watch decorating his wrist with two beautiful women hanging off either arm.

"He's incredibly, unbelievably rich. Married too, and neither of those women are his wife," her father snorted.

"What a pig," Anna rolled her eyes. She delighted in hearing her father talk about what he knew about Oaken's many patrons; this man was secretly gay and his wife merely a coverup, that woman was involved in a major business scandal, the young man across the room inherited millions from his recently deceased father. Alvar would recount tale after take of real-life drama that Anna found much more engrossing than the rubbish that came on T.V. She needed only point to a person to hear their most recent accomplishment or misfortune.

"Dad, what about those two, over there?" Anna asked, gesturing inconspicuously down the bar at a couple sitting huddled together, their glasses clutched tightly in their hands. One was a woman with striking platinum blonde hair, the other a man with reddish-brown hair and thick, neatly groomed sideburns. They looked rather out of place, clothed incredibly casually amongst the sea of sharply dressed individuals; the woman wore a simple black dress that ended just below her knees, revealing a vast expanse of beautiful milky white skin. The man dawned a red dress shirt and faded black dress pants, a charcoal tie loosely strung around his neck.

Her father shook his head solemnly.

"Pitiful story, those two— the woman is Elsa Landvik. She was cheated out of a fortune by a family friend after her parents died. She sort of fell into a pit after that, when she met the man, Hans Westergaard. He was last in line to receive his father's company and his income from the corporation stopped once his oldest brother took charge. You could say they both were living happy, expensive lives that were suddenly torn asunder. Now they're both alcoholics," Alvar explained in a hushed tone, never looking in the couple's direction as he wiped the counter down.

"Wow. That really sucks for them," Anna murmured. She stole another glance at the couple and noticed with a start that the woman was now staring back, her icy blue eyes seeming to slice through Anna's skin and freeze her nerves solid. A sweet chill crept up Anna's spine as she found herself enraptured by this Elsa's gaze, the chill growing pleasantly cooler when the woman gave Anna a small and genuine yet melancholy smile before turning back to the glass of whiskey nestled between her pale palms.

Anna would never forget that smile.

* * *

**A/N: This was just a sudden burst of inspiration I had. I have a sort of path I want this to take, but I'm not too sure. Let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey, guys. I'm really sorry, but I forgot all about this story. Here's a quick little chapter. i promise the next will be longer.**

** CHAPTER TWO**

The next time Anna saw Elsa was nearly eighteen months later, at the same bar. This time, however, instead of listening to her father talk about the customers, Anna was busy sweeping the floors. It was just after one in the morning and many of the patrons had already left, screeching out of the parking lot in their beautiful luxury cars. A few men were playing pool while a group of younger people were focused intensely on a game of poker. Anna surveyed the long bar, grimacing at all the spilled alcohol and crumbs she'd have to clean when she noticed a lone woman sitting at the far end. The woman had her head down against the wood, settled between her arms. Her platinum blonde hair was twisted into a simple braid that was draped lazily over her shoulder. Anna could see that she was wearing a red dress with a black sash tied around her waist and heels of matching color.

_She must've passed out_, Anna thought with a roll of her eyes. She despised the people who came and drank themselves into horrible stupors only to pass out ungracefully somewhere where she had to find and wake them.

With an irritated sigh, Anna leaned the broom against the wall and walked begrudgingly over to the woman. She extended a hand and gently shook the platinum blonde, only to have the woman's head shoot up from the table in alarm, her crystal blue eyes wide with confusion. Her bewildered expression softened considerably, however, when she realized that it was only a young woman standing before her.

Anna recognized the woman almost immediately; it was Elsa Landvik, the formerly wealthy drunk her father had told her about all those months ago. She was wearing red lipstick that matched her dress and contrasted against her flawless white skin perfectly. Anna noticed that Elsa's right cheekbone had slightly more makeup applied to it than the rest of her face, as though she was trying to cover something up.

"Ma'am, do you need me to call a cab?" Anna inquired as she took a subtle half-step away from Elsa, raising her hands in a calming gesture.

"Oh, don't look at me like I'm crazy," Elsa sneered as she swung her head back to face her drink. She lifted the glass cup to her lips and drank the remaining whiskey in a single gulp. "This is the only drink I've had all night."

"But you were just asleep, weren't you?"

"No."

"Then...why was your head down?"

"If you absolutely must know, I was deep in thought," the woman murmured as she rolled the empty glass between her palms. She looked sullen and gloomy and pained and Anna felt a sudden twinge of pity.

"Well, what about?" Anna asked as she hopped onto a bar stool beside Elsa, who eyed the young woman cautiously before sighing.

"Life. My life."

"Specifically?"

"How much I hate it."

A heavy silence descended upon the pair. It weighed Anna shoulders down and she felt red creep up her neck as she searched for something to say to continue the conversation and learn more about the woman.

But then she began to wonder why she even cared at all. She didn't know this woman aside from what her father had told her. Of course, this Elsa was heartbreakingly beautiful— Anna could admit that to anyone and a damsel in distress typically deserved attention. But what was it that pulled Anna in almost instantaneously? Perhaps she felt bad for Elsa, whose suffering was written neatly across her face. Anna just wanted to know _more_.

"Why is that?" Anna finally murmured. Elsa turned to look Anna in the eye and the younger girl felt her heart twitch deep within her chest. The older woman wore a mildly surprised expression.

"I've lost everything: my parents, my wealth, my happiness, my freedom... my child," Elsa whispered after a moment, her voice weak. She dabbed at her corner of her eye with the back of her wrist and turned away from Anna, pulling the empty cup close to her chest as though it were her one and only lifeline.

"What do you mean?" the younger woman pressed as she leaned forward and placed a comforting hand against Elsa's shoulder blade.

"My-my husband," Elsa choked, "he doesn't want kids. Some time ago I told him that I was pregnant, a little ways in, and he got angry. He made me abort it. I'd picked out a name at that point; he was going to be my little Olaf. My little Olaf."

Anna was on the verge of tears herself.

"I-I'm sorry, ma'am," Anna cleared her throat.

"No, dear, I'm sorry for dropping my woes onto you. I just can't seem to stop ruining the days of the people around me," Elsa sneered at herself, her face split with a humorless grin.

"Don't say that. I'm happy to listen, ma'am. In fact, here," Anna mumbled as she searched her pockets before pulling out a ballpoint pen. She grabbed a napkin and scribbled something down before offering it to the older woman, who stared at it skeptically before shakily reaching out to take it between two fingers.

"Forgive me, I have to ask you to leave now. But please, I do feel for you and I believe no one should have to suffer alone. If you ever need someone to talk to or go out with, I'll make myself available."

Elsa stared at the numbers written on the towel, a small grin creeping up her face as she read the name penned down next to the digits; Anna. She glanced at the strawberry blonde, who was mimicking the minuscule smile.

"Thank you. Thank you very much. Just by listening for a moment, you've done me a great favor. I'll be on my way— and I'll contact you soon," Elsa nearly gushed, her grin only growing as she grabbed her coat from the back of her chair and made her way out of the bar. She waved at Anna as she left. The younger girl returned the gesture.

Anna didn't hear from Elsa for a long time.


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER THREE**

"Who's closing tonight?"

"Both of us."

"Liar. You and I both know it's your turn, Anna,"

"Oh, come on, Kristoff. It was supposed to be me and Rapunzel, but she called in sick. I can't close the place up all on my own," Anna whined, leaning against the bar with her head propped against her fist. She shot her best friend a pouty, pleading glance and held back a snicker as the blonde boy sighed and rolled his eyes dramatically.

"Fine, whatever. But you owe me; Sven is gonna throw a fit when I get home," Kristoff murmured as he dropped his keys on the counter, draped his coat behind a chair and began to help Anna tidy up the bar.

"I'm sure your mutt isn't going to mind you being home an hour late."

"Says you. Who knew working at a bar would be so strenuous— I always thought it would be just mixing drinks and chatting up pretty ladies. It's a lot more cleaning and angry old rich men than I anticipated," Kristoff chuckled as he wiped a table down.

"No complaining, Bjorgman. You begged me to recommend you for the job and I did," Anna smirked as loaded a tray full of dirty glasses. She took the cups around the drink machines to the kitchen, where she arranged them neatly into one of the dishwashers.

"I'm not complaining, I'm just saying," Kristoff sang as he entered the kitchen with his own tray full of dishes. "It's great money, great atmosphere, interesting clients. I love it."

"Me too," the strawberry blonde grinned broadly as she dried her hands on a hand towel before throwing it into a hamper near the sinks.

Suddenly, the gentle chime that signaled the opening of the front door went off. Anna and Kristoff exchanges quizzical glances as they made their way out to the bar, the blonde boy in the lead.

"I'm sorry sir, ma'am, but the bar is closed," Kristoff said, crossing his arms.

Anna's view was obscured by the burly man's large torso, so she leaned out to the right to better observe the trespassers. There was a tall, handsome, angry-looking man with copper hair and neat sideburns. He was wearing a dark grey shirt covered by a long tan coat, black dress pants and shiny black shoes. His eyes were sleepy and yet wild, the dark bags beneath them only serving to make him appear angrier. He looked rather thin. The figure standing next to him made Anna gasp sharply, her eyes widening as her hand rose to cover her gaping mouth. It was Elsa, who she had last seen about a year ago. But this… wasn't Elsa. The woman had been thin before, attractively so, but now she was sickly gauntly. Her cheeks no longer had a rosy undertone. Her eyes were dull and deeply saddened, very unlike the shimmering blue irises Anna remembered so unusually well from their previous encounter. Elsa had a faraway look to her, as if she were standing before those in the room and at the same time off somewhere else in her own world. Her platinum blonde hair was pulled into a bun and she was wearing a simple strapless blue dress that appeared a bit too large on her and heels of matching color, with an interesting necklace strung around her slender neck. The man had a tight grip on Elsa's upper arm; though it looked uncomfortable and nearly painful, the woman seemed not to notice.

It was pitiful and sad to see these two atrociously beautiful people, clearly from wealthy backgrounds, reduced to mere common folk, dressed in fancy clothing that was from another life, evident in the way the fabric hung about their sickly thin frames. Anna felt bad admitting it, but it was almost pathetic how they were scraping around a bar that was much too expensive at such an hour; it was as though they were trying desperately to reattach themselves to their former lives.

"Don't give me that crap, bars don't close," the copper-haired man, Hans, if Anna remembered correctly, barked.

"Look, sir, this bar _does _close. We cater to wealthy customers who can afford more alcohol than they can handle. We have to force them out at some point. And that aside, two A.M. is much too late for a drink," Kristoff explained as he leaned cooly against the doorframe, his right hand jammed into his pants pocket. "If you want a twenty-four/seven bar, you can head around the corner to Scar's or down the street to The Jolly Roger."

"That garbage won't do," Hans spat. "I'll tip you half of what the drinks cost. It's just me drinking."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged a glance and shrugged. Who could turn down extra cash?

"I guess so. What'll it be?" Anna asked as she grabbed a clean glass from the racks.

"Just whatever good whisky you have. Aged at least twenty years," the man replied as he settled down on a bar stool, pulling his wife into the seat next to him as he massaged his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

Anna scanned the extensive stock of whiskey on hand before pulling out her personal favorite.

"We have a bottle of 1989 Shadow Man's."

"Perfect."

Anna uncorked the bottle, exhaling slightly at the familiar _pop_ sound, and began filling the shot glass. She stole a quick glance at Elsa— the woman was swaying slightly in her seat, looking disheveled and distant and clearly not in her right mind. Anna's heart tugged for Elsa as she slid the shot over to Hans. He lifted the glass quickly, too quickly, and knocked it back, swallowing it with a single fluid gulp.

"This is good. Very good," he murmured as he set the empty glass down with a light _thunk, _waving rudely for a refill. He proceeded to slap a stack of six one-hundred dollar bills down on the counter as Anna refilled his cup. He drank until he had four shots of nicely aged whiskey sitting in his system. After checking the legitimacy of the man's cash, Anna put four hundred in the register, kept one bill for herself and gave one to Kristoff, who was still standing in the doorway to the kitchen with his arms crossed, eying Hans suspiciously.

The copper haired man rose ungracefully from his stool, unsteady and grinning stupidly.

"Thank you for your service, kiddos. I'll be on my way now," he slurred as he made his way to the door. Elsa, who still staring off into space, made no attempt to follow the man or even an acknowledgment of her husband's movement.

"Wait! What about your wife?" Anna called, her brow furrowed in a mixture of anger and disbelief.

Hans, now halfway through the door, swung his head around to glare at the strawberry blonde.

"I don't care how that _stupid_ bitch gets home. I'm going to _enjoy_ myself until I have to return to that shithole we call home. Call her a cab if you're so concerned. Apartment complex is called Pine Cove, apartment number 17B," the man sneered as he moved out of the bar, slamming the elegant doors shut behind himself.

Anna and Kristoff exchanged an appealed glance before their gazes shifted to the woman on the barstool.

"Okay, I am _not_ going to leave her at the mercy of some creepy cab driver while she's in this state," Anna whispered.

"Agreed. I'll take her home," Kristoff nodded.

"No, you can go home to your pup. I've got this," Anna said.

"He called their home a "shithole." It's probably in downtown Arendelle, and that's not the place you want to be this late," Kristoff argued, placing his hands on his hips.

"It's not. My uncle used to live there— it's actually pretty nice. His spoiled ass probably just can't appreciate anything less than the mansions on North Mountain," Anna retorted as she mimicked the man's stance.

"Alright, fine," Kristoff sighed. "But I'm following you in my car."

"Deal."

The bartenders proceeded to lock up the drinks and register and gently usher Elsa out of the bar before securing the front doors. They made their way out to the street-lamp lit parking lot and into their respective cars; Anna and Elsa slid into the younger woman's dark blue Honda Accord and Kristoff into his beloved black BMW i8, a gift from his filthy rich adoptive grandfather. They drove up the street for a few miles, made a couple rights and a left, and soon found themselves at huge gates with a machine demanding a card for entry.

"Elsa? Um, do you have your entry card on you?" Anna asked tentatively.

"Hmm? What?" Elsa whispered, turning her glassy gaze from the window to Anna.

"Your card, to enter your complex? Is it with you?"

"I-I don't think so. I'll check," Elsa sighed. She rummaged through her small purse for a second before affirming the negative.

Anna held back an exasperated groan as she ran her hands through her hair. She pulled her phone out, dialed Kristoff and explained the situation at hand.

"You're kidding," Kristoff grumbled.

"No. Wish I was, though."

"We can't just leave her out here. She's clearly high on something.

"Yeah, I know."

"Hotel, maybe?"

"Maybe… No, I'll just… take her back home with me."

Anna's proposition was met with silence. She began to turn out of the entrance to the apartment complex.

"Look, feisty-pants, I don't think that's such a good idea," Kristoff finally said.

"Oh, come on, she's harmless. Plus, we've met before."

"Really?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Well… Alright, then. I'll see you tomorrow at work."

"See ya," Anna chirped before hanging up. She turned on the radio and allowed her nerves to be soothed by the smooth DnB music that the stations played late at night.

She drove in harmony for a few minutes before to her right came a brisk, "thank you."

The strawberry-blonde nearly jumped, accidentally accelerating for a moment in shock. Ignoring the honking behind her, she turned to gaze at Elsa out of the corner of her eye.

"It's no problem," Anna nodded.

"No, it is! Look at me! I used to be someone beautiful, elegant. Important! Now I'm in some stranger's car, heading to some stranger's _house_ because Hans refuses to allow me a liberty as simple as having an access key to our own apartment complex. I was on track to inherit a company, live up to my father's legacy. But it's all been taken from me! I'm just another drug addict living every day with a _monster_. He beats me and sells me and hates me and I'm just… I'm just so sick of it all."

Anna was appalled and once again felt a strong pang of pity for the woman. After a moment of hesitation, the strawberry blonde slowly removed her right hand from the wheel and gently took Elsa's palm in her own. The blonde turned to look at the younger woman, misty eyed and surprised, before relaxing into Anna's grip.

"Look," the younger began, "I won't claim to understand exactly what you're going through. But I do understand hardships. Before my mother passed, my dad used to have a pretty good job as mechanic at an auto repair shop. It was part of a chain that my best friend's grandfather, Craig Pabbie, owns. He worked a lot of hours and we lived comfortably, neither rich nor poor. When Mom got really sick, I was still young so Dad had to raise me own his own. He quit his job at the auto-shop and got a job as a janitor at my school so that we could be on nearly the same schedule. For a few years, we ended up having to live in this dingy, disgusting old apartment in the ugly part of downtown. I remember having to eat dry cereal for breakfast and baked beans or tuna for dinner. One Christmas, I asked for this really cool bike but all I got was a cute little blue stuffed bear named Joan. I loved it, but I could tell how much it hurt my father that he couldn't get me what I had asked for. His pain was so clear that I could read it even though I was still pretty little.

"Mr. Pabbie tried to help us but my dad was too stubborn— eventually, Pabbie introduced him to one of his friends, Jedrek Oaken, who had just reopened his father's bar. Oaken offered my dad a job with good pay and good hours because my dad was a high-end bartender when he was younger. He finally agreed after some pestering and in almost no time, he made it way up the ranks and was making upwards of one hundred grand a year just mixing drinks. Of course, Oaken's is an expensive bar and all, but that's still a lot of bank."

"I-I'm sorry, Anna," Elsa stammered.

"Don't be, it's in the past; we're all good now."

Anna approached a red light and slowed to a stop before cupping one of Elsa's hands with both of her own. She looked closely into her crystal blue irises, noting a mixture of confusion, frustration and sadness, before continuing.

"I guess what I'm trying to say, in simple, generic terms, is just that it really does get better," Anna sighed. Elsa averted her gaze, a blush dusting her pale cheeks, and heaved a sigh of her own.

"I hope you're right. I don't even miss my money, you know. Just my happiness," Elsa murmured, forlornly running her fingers along the cool glass of the window.

"You'll find happiness somewhere, Elsa. I promise," Anna chirped with an assuring grin as she pulled into her driveway. She helped Elsa out of the car and steadied the woman on her feet. She guided the blonde into through the front door and into her bedroom, where Anna gave her a large shirt that one of her ex's had once left and a pair of shorts to change in to.

"You can leave your clothes in that," Anna said, pointing to a hamper in a far corner of the room.

"Thank you so much, Anna," Elsa sniffled, smiling through the few tears shining in her eyes. She moved forward and wrapped her arms around Anna's waist, pressing her forehead to the younger's shoulder as she quaked with suppressed sobs.

Anna quickly returned the embrace, her heart fluttering uncontrollably as the oman desperately pressed against her. Elsa smelled like cocoa butter and linen, a soft and sweet smell that seemed to filled Anna with a sense of cool comfort.

It was over within a few seconds.

"It's no problem. Stay as long as you need to. Goodnight, Elsa."

"Goodnight."

Anna switched the lights off and shut the door quietly behind herself.


End file.
